Political, Social, and Religious Ravings from a Texas Conservative

Left Still Tormented by Russian Hackers

Adding insult to injury (costing them the 2016 election), Russian hackers still seem to be targeting leftist groups, hacking their data and then extorting money out of them to not release said data. The Russians generally demand “small sums” of around $30K to $150K in untraceable bitcoins.

I think this is hilarious, but then my ox isn’t being gored here. Unlike the left, I don’t equate attacks on non-government political organizations as attacks our government or our election. Also, it would be easy for the left to thwart these attacks by following two simple steps.

7 Responses

>> Do you really think that the right isn’t being extorted because they’re more technically competent?

I don’t see any articles concerning the right being extorted.

Do you really think if the right was being extorted (to the same extent as the left) they would be better at covering it up OR that the media wouldn’t report it? Neither are very likely…

In answer to your question… No… they (the right) are not being extorted because…
1) They’re more competent in general (not just technically) 🙂 (Why do I think I just pointed out that the sun rises in the east?)
2) They are less corrupt and hypocritical (in comparison to those currently running the show on the left) 🙂 (And back to the sun thing…) 🙂

>> So… I take it you do not believe the right, or at least the Trump administration, is being aided by the Russians?

No… it’ one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard. “Trump Derangement Syndrome” (formerly Bush Derangement Syndrome) taken to the extreme. I’m sure there are many in the left rank and file who actually believe that crap; but at the higher levels (the leadership and main stream media) it’s just the chosen vehicle to attack and delegitimize Trump. It could have just as easily been some other cockamamie invention.

Again, I didn’t vote for Trump and am no fan of his. But the left has gone nuts; I mean even well beyond the Kool-Aid drinking nuts. The crap they’re pulling is fascist, and not by just a little bit. I dread what Trump may do to the country, but he’s nothing (as far as dangerous) compared to the rabid left.

>> or just wrong, when they say the Russian operatives intervened on Trump’s behalf?

No… the CIA and FBI say the Russians “tried” to affect the election, that they had several motives for doing this (not just elect Trump), and that the result of their efforts was bupkis. You’re framing the argument that the intelligence agencies agree and have proof that the mountain out of a mole-hill fantasies (cost Hillary the election, collusion of Trump operatives) of the left are true.

The real problem isn’t the “intelligence” but rather organized, hysterical, obfuscation by the left. Taking a few minor insignificant facts (Russian hacking of Podesta and DNC, and some goofy-ass “fake news”) and pushing the narrative that there was some GREAT cloak-and-dagger conspiracy.

As for what the Russians did do (as explained to Congress by the spooks), the issue isn’t intent… it’s success (or in this case, the TOTAL lack of success). And do you think this is the first time a foreign entity (Russia or otherwise) has tried to influence a democratic election? The ONLY reason this is a news item is because Hillary lost and the left has gone bat-ass nuts.

For a little perspective… The Russian efforts didn’t even come close (in scope) to Obama’s efforts to affect the Israeli elections and depose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015. Obama spent $350,000 of U.S. tax payer money on the effort. How many people in the U.S. even know about this?

My take on the Russian “interference” is this… I think the Russians poked around in an attempt to do several things; mostly just to see how effective they could be. Helping Trump was an incidental goal at best. I think Putin wanted to screw with Obama and Hillary and the U.S… Much of what happened had a lot to do with the fact that Putin viewed Obama as a pussy and Clinton as corrupt (being correct on both accounts). And I think he wanted to test how effective his efforts could be. A test run if you will…

From what I’ve read, what the CIA and FBI are saying bears this out.

“CIA and FBI officials do not think Russia had a “single purpose” by intervening during the presidential campaign, officials said. In addition to the goal of helping elect Trump, Putin aimed to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, intelligence officials have told lawmakers.” — Washington Post (from the leftist MSM)

The best way I can explain this is perhaps with a parable…

Let’s say me and some buddies decide to rob a bank. We make plans, get everything ready and execute that plan. But on the way to the bank we run the getaway car into a tree. So we steal some bicycles, but we’re not too good at riding them and don’t make much progress. By the time we reach the bank… it’s closed. What crime did we just commit? By leftist logic (as with the Russians), we’re bank robbers.

The key question is, what did the Russians accomplish other than…?
1) Hack John Podesta’s email
2) Hack the DNC
3) Throw out some goofy “fake news” (which was amateurish when compared to the REAL fake news we endure from the MSM on a regular basis)

What difference (at this point) did they make in the actual election? #$@%! What little success they had came after the election in the form of “undermine[ing] confidence in the U.S. electoral system”. And they accomplished this only through the hysterics of the left.

Show me something substantial the Russians did (something that made some difference) and I’ll be more concerned? Show me some voting system that was compromised. Show me one actual vote they changed in favor or Trump… and I’ll concede.

The CIA and FBI say point blank, there was none of that. But the left (though the MSM) use obfuscation to imply that is what is really going on. It’s intellectually dishonest… and at this level… fascist.

The only thing I’ve seen is that the Russians exposed John Podesta, and many high-up Dems (like Donna Brazile and Debbie Wasserman Schultz) as being a$$holes, hypocrites, and corrupt. This is something our “free press” should be doing, but we lost that check and balance decades ago.

It comes down to this. This is all about the lefts goal to de-legitimize Trump’s election and they’ve hung their hat on “If not for the Russians, Hillary would have won.” And to be blunt… that is not only bullshit, it is nuts!

>No… the CIA and FBI say the Russians “tried” to affect the election, that they had several motives for doing this (not just elect Trump), and that the result of their efforts was bupkis.

I don’t know that any agency has speculated on the tangible end effect of the meddling, because that’s too difficult to judge, whether “yuge” or “bupkis.” It’s like advertising. Does it help? Probably, or companies wouldn’t continue to spend money on it. Can a marketing manager prove that a certain campaign directly drove sales? Nope. Too many other factors. (Same goes for corporate training, by the way. Hard to show direct ROI, and yet, most execs know it adds value when executed well.)

I agree that Trump would’ve won the election without Russian meddling. What disturbs me is the continued pro-Russian rhetoric from the President and his staff, paired with cutting off the media and denigrating the non-partisan intelligence agencies… and the complete lack of concern for this from conservatives on the Hill. I can only imagine what they’d be saying if a Democratic president was acting this way.

>The best way I can explain this is perhaps with a parable…

OH GOD NO… 🙂

My main concern is not the (perhaps) minor Russian influence on an American election, but the right’s complete lack of concern that we have a thin-skinned, impulsive, easily-triggered Commie sympathizer in the White House, who won’t listen to his own intelligence staff and goes nuts on Twitter every night like a teenage girl. That genuinely mystifies me. Maybe he’ll be the first president impeached on psychiatric grounds. I doubt it, but I can always dream.

Maybe the GOP are just keeping their concerns cloaked to maintain the illusion of party unity? That would be slightly comforting, as it indicates sanity. “OK, the Joker won the election, but we can still come out big on this if we pretend we’re on board with him. Right? Everybody? OK, big smiles…”